What’s the Big Deal With Meditation?

Why I believe it's totally worth your time

Welcome back to Idle Impact where we share bite-sized, actionable insights to help you improve your life!

Have you ever felt overwhelmed, unfocused, or depressed? Meditation might be the answer to all of these things and more!

Today we’re tackling the enormous topic of meditation… But WAIT! Don’t close this email yet 😄

Just give us 5 minutes to show you why meditation is worth your time (if you’ve never given it a chance before).

Our time is limited so let’s get right to it!

Paul McCartney, Hugh Jackman, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates are all well-known meditators

MINDFULNESS | MEDITATION | HEALTH | FOCUS

Why You Should Give Meditation A Chance

Many famous people have attributed their success in some part to meditation.

But what makes it so special or powerful? What could you possibly gain by sitting with your eyes closed for extended periods of time??

You can think of meditation as ‘exercise’ for your brain, sharpening focus and reducing stress, among other things. But it’s much deeper than that - It can help you understand your true self and find inner peace in a chaotic world.

Personally, meditation has significantly improved my focus and calmness in all aspects of life.

Before we get into the WHY meditation is so great, let’s briefly go over some of the main misconceptions about meditation.

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"The gift of learning to meditate is the greatest gift you can give yourself in this lifetime."

Oprah Winfrey

Here are some myths about meditation:

  1. “It's a religious or spiritual practice” - You can make it as spiritual (or not) as you want. Many people practice meditation without any spiritual component.

  2. "You need to sit for hours for it to work" - You can meditate in as little as 5 minutes a time or even less. It’s completely flexible.

  3. "Meditation is about having no thoughts" - Meditation is about observing our thoughts without judgment - not getting rid of them - as well as understanding their fleeting nature. It's about changing our relationship with thoughts, not erasing them.

These myths have probably discouraged many from trying meditation, but at least now you know 😉.

Now, let’s get into why you should seriously consider giving meditation a chance.

The Proven Benefits of Meditation

There have been mountains of studies conducted on meditation - especially in the last few decades after more and more people have started to pay attention.

The results showing all the benefits of meditation have been astounding.

There’s just too much good to say about meditation in this “short” email…But here’s a stab:

  1. Reduce your stress and anxiety - As one of the most well-known benefits, meditation can reduce the stress hormone cortisol.1

  2. Increase your focus and attention span - Even short meditation training can lead to better concentration.2

  3. Sleep better - It can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer - it’s the best of both worlds!3

  4. Improve your memory - Meditating can help you remember to meditate more 🤣.4

  5. Boost your immune system - More resistance against viruses and infections = fewer illnesses and trips to the doctor - always a good thing.5

  6. Improve your mood and mental health - It can decrease symptoms of depression as well as increase positive emotions. Meditation can help you feel better mentally overall.6

  7. Increase your kindness - Maybe you also know some people who could use more compassion and empathy 😂. You can recommend meditation which can enhance both!7

But wait, there’s more!

Meditation can also help with pain management, breaking addictions, decreasing blood pressure, becoming more self-aware, reducing PTSD, decreasing inflammation, increasing creativity, improving decision-making, and more!

I hope that I have not gone too far in ‘overselling’ meditation!

To conclude, let’s end with a simple and short meditation. Hopefully, it will help you to break through any doubts or aversions you might have.

Other famous meditators: Kobe Bryant, Katy Perry, Jack Ma, and Howard Stern

Start with a 2-minute Meditation

Follow these short simple steps but be sure to read through first since you’ll need to close your eyes in the middle!

  1. Sit in a Comfortable Position. In fact, you can just sit as you are now.

  2. Start a timer for just 2 minutes.

  3. Close Your Eyes.

  4. Focus on Your Breath. Pay attention to your natural breathing rhythm. Feel the air entering and exiting your body.

  5. Let Go of Distractions. You might start to think of other things; Try to return your focus back to your breath if you do.

  6. Open Your Eyes.

That’s it - it’s that simple!

Remember, the goal isn't to clear your mind completely but to focus on the present moment and your breath. Even just two minutes of meditation can help you to clear and calm your mind.

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"In moments of madness, meditation has helped me find moments of serenity."

Paul McCartney

Your meditation journey has just begun…

I hope you’ve learned (a little more) about meditation than before.

I also hope that you continue to give meditation a chance if you’ve never tried it before. Even with all the benefits listed above, you just have to try it for yourself and see what changes it can make to literally every aspect of your life.

I know meditation changed my life - I know it can for you as well!

I apologize if today’s edition of Idle Impact is a little longer than usual! As you might know, there’s much more to meditation and mindfulness than the very simple overview I’ve given above.

Therefore, I encourage you to check out some of the extended reading and resources below.

Let us know about your own thoughts or journey about meditation. Maybe you started but stopped for some reason? Let us know as well as any other suggestions at [email protected]!

I hope you make more idle impacts in your life and see you back soon!

- Kevin and the Idle Impact Team

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